1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to packaging and methods for manufacturing packaging and, more specifically, to packages adaptable for dispensing small quantities.
2. Description of the Prior Art
One of the major problems in health care administration is providing accurate doses of medication, particularly liquids and powders, to patients, whether they be in hospitals, nursing homes or in their own homes. It is desirable to minimize the amount of time spent by health care personnel in providing medication to patients, both in apportioning of the dosages and administering of the dosages to the patient, and also in the recordkeeping of the dosages administered.
For example, it has been found troublesome to apportion out quantities directly to the recipient from the large, bulk quantity each time such medication is required. Such a procedure shortens the shelf life of the medication because the numerous openings of the container exposes the contents to a possibly unfavorable environment, for example, higher temperature than recommended storage temperature, and also encourages contamination of the contents each time the bulk container is opened. Additionally, very often, liquid medications will not be homogeneous when stored in large containers and so the contents of the dosages will vary depending upon the stirring that was performed prior to each time a small quantity is removed from the large container.
Attempts to pre-package small dosages have been less than successful when dealing with doses of materials other than pills. Many problems exist regarding dispensing individual dosages of loose quantities, such as powders or liquids. In dealing with liquids, if the packages are to be sealed after being filled, which is desirable for purposes of cleanliness and avoidance of contamination and accidental spillage, then the steps of filling, sealing and then opening of the package and the dispensing of the contents all are sources of serious problems.
For example, while vial-type containers are relatively convenient for storage of small individual dosages, they usually have a relatively small opening, and are somewhat difficult to fill. Additionally, they require using an intermediate transfer member, such as a spoon, to transfer the contents from the vial to the mouth of the patient or recipient of the contents. Further, the vials are fairly bulky for the volume of material that they use, making storage prior to filling difficult. Also, vials usually are made of glass or plastic, and present disposal problems in that the discarded vials often break and shatter, leaving sharp fragments which are a hazard to other persons in the health care facility.
The use of cups for unit dosages has also proved to be less than desirable. If cups without sealed tops are used, then the dosages must be poured into open cups, where they can often remain for extended periods of time subject to contamination prior to administration to the patient. Additionally, the open cups present hazards of spilling and must be very carefully handled.
If the cups are sealed, the seals have often proved less than satisfactory in use. For example, some seals are difficult to open, so that when opening the seal, the cup is agitated or shaken to the point that the contents of the cup, if filled too near capacity, would spill. Therefore, the cups must be made substantially larger, i.e. have a much greater head space than is necessary for the contents of the fluid that they hold. Also, if the cups are filled to near the top, it is difficult for the contents of the cup to be taken by the patient in a lying position, so that the cups again must be made much larger than is necessary for the quantity of material to be dispensed.
The relatively large size of the cup in relation to the quantity of material to be dispensed presents problems regarding retention of a portion of the contents due to the wetted surface of the cup. When dealing with relatively small quantities of liquids, the quantity of liquid retained can seriously affect the accuracy of the dosage.
Additionally, cups are often made of plastic materials which cannot be disposed of conveniently. For example, plastic cups very often shatter and, like vials, produce fragments which present dangers to the personnel handling the disposed products.
Additionally, most packages adapted for dispensing small quantities often require a separate labeling operation. A label must be produced and then placed on the container. Often these labels fall off or the wrong labels are inserted or other problems arise regarding the labeling. Further, the extra step of labeling adds to the cost of packaging of the dose in the container.
Lastly, when using containers which cannot be completely sealed in advance, it is necesary for the dosage to be apportioned near the patient who is to receive it. Thus, it makes centralized recordkeeping of the history of medication administered to patients extremely difficult, tending to increase the cost of recordkeeping for the health care facility.